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Ryoma sighed as he fell into the barely padded chair, the weight of the day’s activities finally sinking into him. What was supposed to be a simple mission, picking up the new pilot for Getter Robo, had turned into an all day ordeal – Getter’s first official flight with all three pilots, a major milestone. Truthfully, it wasn’t all bad – Getter had performed admirably, even scaring the Dinosaur Empire, and the new guy had done pretty well for his first time in the cockpit.
The new guy. Hayato Jin. His new ‘partner’.
When he first heard the news of who he was going to work with, he was skeptical. They expected him to work with a man who claimed to fight for a ‘righteous cause’, when it reality it was all a farce, a cover for his barely hidden blood lust. The intel he was provided was spot on, with the only deviation being the massive freak out Hayato had after he came face to face with the Getter’s enemy.
...Well, he couldn’t really blame the guy. Ryoma found it hard to believe too until he was attacked by a pterodactyl scout on his way to the lab for the first time.
Ryoma ran a hand through his bangs and sighed, feeling utterly exhausted. He would love nothing more than to go to bed, but instead, here he was at some ungodly hour of the night in the medical wing, waiting outside the room they were keeping Hayato in overnight.
Waiting for...what exactly?
Ryoma paused, why was he waiting outside his door? No one had told him to be on standby. He waited here voluntarily, because Hayato had a nasty head injury and was probably very dehydrated, and this concerned him. Because Hayato was going to be his teammate, his partner in battle, and Ryoma was a good leader who was concerned for his fellow comrades.
Definitely not because the last time Hayato really looked at him, he did so with a pompous smirk that momentarily stopped his heart and lit a trail of fire down his spine, something that no one else had ever done before.
‘That was...something that happened in the heat of the battle,’ Ryoma rationalized, even though he knew the truth was he was battled dozens, if not hundreds, of men in his life, and he had never had that happen to him before. So, surely, this meant that Hayato was an opponent that was more suited for him.
Yeah. That was it.
Before he could begin to provide a reason to continue waiting, the door next to him opened, revealing someone from the medical staff – a nurse, maybe? – reading from a clipboard.
“Ryoma?” they seemed surprised to see him sitting there, and Ryoma almost felt like he got caught loitering somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be. “Did you need something?”
“I…just wanted to see how Hayato was doing,” it was the truth, and inconspicuous too. Nothing wrong with that.
The nurse gave a warm smile, “No need to worry, Hayato is doing fine. He seems to be as resilient as you are, so he’ll most likely be cleared in the morning. We’re just keeping him overnight, as per protocol.”
Ryoma let out a sigh of relief, ignoring the way his heart briefly fluttered when hearing that he and Hayato had something in common.
The nurse gently urged Ryoma to get some sleep, and as Ryoma made to lengthy trek back to his room, he felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest. As he settled under the covers, he told himself the relief he felt was because it meant he wouldn’t have to collect another pilot for the Getter.
Definitely not because the guy with the sultry smile was going to be intertwined with Ryoma’s life for the foreseeable future.
The next morning, Ryoma woke up an hour early (because yesterday was hectic and messed with his circadian rhythm, not because he was excited or anything) and made his way at a respectable pace to the medical wing. He cycled through what to say when Hayato would inevitably ask why he was visiting when he turned down a corridor and ran into Michiru.
“Oh! Morning Ryoma! You’re up early,” she beamed. Despite being up at an hour when even most of the staff still slept, she seemed ready to tackle the day.
“Thought I’d get an early start to the day, y’know?” he answered as she fell into step beside him. “Where’re you headed?”
“I’m on my way to visit the new guy, thought I’d scope him out before dad sinks his claws into him,” she waved her hand in annoyance over the thought. “I did the same thing for you, remember? I think our first meeting went pretty well,” she grinned as she bumped her elbow into his.
“Oh yeah, I remember. Should I get there first to warn him before you strip him down too?” he sneered as he playfully jabbed back.
“Asshole!” Michiru laughed as she punched his arm, Ryoma laughing in response, “You know it wasn’t like that!” As their laughter subsided, she took note of the direction they were walking, “You seriously heading to see Hayato too?”
“Yeah, I’m...curious to see how he is,” he felt uncannily jittery, like Michiru would be able to detect something more through his words…but that would be ridiculous. Because there’s nothing there.
She nodded. “Yeah I would be too if he was gonna be my partner,” Ryoma felt himself flush at the title. Michiru gave him an energetic slap on his shoulder, “Well, let’s go make a good impression on this guy, or at least I will. Maybe you can give a better introduction instead of trying to break his arms or whatever.”
She was right, first impressions were everything; So while the two of them made their way down the various winding corridors, Ryoma ruminated on ways to prove himself to Hayato that he would be the man who could be an equal to him in mind, body, and spirit. Because Hayato deserved only the best in a partner.
For piloting, of course.
Ryoma was thankful Michiru entered Hayato’s room first, because the sight he was greeted with nearly left him breathless.
The early morning sun streamed in through the large windows, illuminating Hayato with a golden hue comparable to those seen in classic works of art. The sunlight illuminated his pale skin, like porcelain almost, giving him a healthy glow; his dark, tousled hair framing his face gave him a seductive allure, his full, pouty lips begged to be bitten and kissed. The sensuality of seeing someone endowed with captivating beauty after they just woke up froze him on the spot.
To Michiru, he looked like someone who was rudely awoken by two assholes who invited themselves into his room unannounced at 6:30am.
“Morning!” she chirped before Hayato could open his mouth, making her way over to his bed. “I’m Michiru Saotome, you’ve met Ryoma,” she jerked her thumb in his direction, Ryoma was still too stunned by Hayato to make a move, “and we just wanted to see how you were doing.” As she explained the reason for their visit, she began to flip through the chart the medical staff had left, plus poke and prod at the few bandages that he was wrapped in.
“Him I get,” Hayato tiled his head in the direction that Ryoma still stood in, “but who the hell are you,” he gave a halfhearted attempt to pull his arm out of Michiru’s grasp, but she held onto it with a surprisingly strong grip. Ryoma took that as a good sign, knowing from personal experience that Hayato could easily do so if desired.
“Don’t worry about it,” Michiru ignored his question, instead testing the range of motion of his elbow. “My dad – that’s Professor Saotome, by the way – is gonna be a lot more aggressive about seeing if you’re healed enough for working with the Getter. I’m just testing the water.” She nodded, pleased with whatever she was looking for. She turned to Ryoma, who continued to stand unusually quiet and still by the door, “What’s up? I wasn’t actually gonna do anything to him, y’know,” she teased.
Ryoma hoped the blush he could feel on his neck wasn’t evident on his face. “I-I know that! I was just...lettin’ you do your thing…” he cringed over his unusual stammering, he was desperately trying to collect himself from the thought of Hayato being stripped down to his-
Michiru laughed and threw up her hands in an appeasing manner, “Geez! Cut a girl some slack will ya’! Ya’ try to help a guy one time…” she grumbled in mock annoyance. Dropping her hands and slowly starting to walk towards the door, she dropped the annoyed act and put on a teasing grin, “I get it though, you want some alone time to see if you guys are compatible in the seat.” Ryoma felt his jaw drop, there was no way Michiru wouldn’t be able to tell his was blushing.
“I’ll get out of your hair and let you guys get to it, later lovebirds!” she singsonged as she exited the room, closing the door behind her. Ryoma clicked his tongue in annoyance and brought his hand up to rub his neck in an attempt to conceal his embarrassment and hopefully stop the heat he felt creeping along his neck.
“She seems fun,” Ryoma was surprised to hear Hayato speak first, he looked towards the man in the bed to see annoyance clear on his features, though his voice held no venom behind his words.
“Nah, she’s great,” Ryoma agreed, hand slipping from his neck back to its default place, “she just likes to be...difficult sometimes.”
Not as difficult as adjusting to having his life flipped upside down by the man sitting in front of him.
Life with Hayato in the lab was...pretty great actually.
When Professor Saotome cleared Hayato to train with Ryoma to pilot the Getter (which was the same day he and Michiru visited, naturally), Saotome also decreed it a good idea for him and Ryoma to spend as much time together as possible, “you need to be in sync as much as possible in order to draw out the Getter’s full potential,”...or so was his prevailing theory.
This resulted in spending most of their days together. Ryoma was ecstatic.
...Because Hayato was a formidable opponent, someone who could go toe to toe with him in a fight. Yeah.
In reality, Hayato was an excellent fighter. Ryoma hadn’t met another person able to withstand his attacks, proving time and time again that the fight within the schoolhouse wasn’t a fluke. He was constantly impressed at how lithe and agile Hayato could be during a fight, the way he would dodge and strike was controlled and smooth, no energy wasted with necessary movements. It was mesmerizing, beautiful even, like a dance that only the two of them could do.
So was the way Hayato would relax after a workout – leaning back so his hair (which was gradually getting longer, by the way) wouldn’t stick to his neck, allowing Ryoma the perfect view to watch the sweat drip down his neck and arms. How on occasion, he would take off his shirt and Ryoma’s mind would run wild with ways he wanted to worship-
Except he totally did not think those things about his new teammate. He would never.
And he especially would not try to sneak peaks at his new teammate when they were both in the communal showers after particularly intense training sessions. And he definitely did not incorporate what he saw into any late night fantasies that barely took the edge off the strong desire that permeated every cell in his body. He would never.
Roughly two weeks into their...arrangement, Ryoma was told by Professor Saotome that Hayato would be moving in with him – something about how Hayato had been prowling around the lab like a cat since his release from the med bay, making it hard for Saotome to properly find him at times, and he needed to be able to locate him promptly at his discretion because ‘his intellect is a boon to the continued work on Getter’ blah blah blah….
Ryoma zoned out at Saotome’s explanation because he could only think about how Hayato would be living with him in his tiny, cramped room, and how he would be the first thing Ryoma saw when he woke in the morning, and went to sleep at night. He felt like he hit the jackpot...because he also would not have to waste time looking for the elusive man when Saotome demanded his assistance.
Hayato’s move in day came without any issues, and Ryoma gradually adjusted to sharing his tiny living space with the man who occupied his thoughts most of the day. He was excited to learn more about the newly christened Getter 2 pilot, his likes, dislikes, habits, quirks, literally any piece of info Ryoma could get his hands on would make his day.
And it turns out, Hayato is...kinda boring. Ryoma couldn’t keep up with any technical work Hayato had begun to devote himself to, so instead he focused on the little intricacies that Hayato showed while working – such as how he would cover his mouth with his hand while deep in thought, how he would click his teeth together in annoyance when he couldn’t figure something out, how he would run his hand through his hair when he was focused…
All this time spent watching getting to know him better resulted in Ryoma spending more time staying in their shared room (much to Professor Saotome’s chagrin) instead of doing something more productive. But it was worth it, because this meant that he and Hayato could be even closer.
‘Cause it’s good for piloting the Getter. Or whatever.
“Are you doing alright Ryoma? Ever since Hayato moved in with you I’ve hardly seen you...If dad is going overboard with this whole ‘be constantly together because of teamwork’ thing, just let me know and I’ll get him to ease off it.”
Ryoma shook his head as he pawed at the food in front of him. This was the first time in a week that he had met up with her for lunch, something they used to do almost daily, but after Hayato moved in with him (into the ‘shared pilot’s quarters’ as it was called. No need to make it sound major.) Ryoma was scarcely seen. He felt bad for ignoring Michiru for so long, but becoming better partners (a.k.a definitely not watching him like a creep) with Hayato took most of his time.
“It’s all good. I’ve just been...trying to get to know him better, y’know how it is.” He waved his hand dismissively, eyes gradually wandering back to Hayato, who was currently engaged in conversation with some of the engineering staff who happened to spot him when he entered the lunchroom.
Michiru hummed as she followed Ryoma’s gaze to the other pilot. She turned her attention back to the man in front of her to see he was still staring, almost longingly, at Hayato. She couldn’t help but notice the wistful look in his eyes, the slightest up tilt of his lips, the relaxed posture…
The look of someone head over heels in love.
“Uh huh,” she drawled as she watched him stare intently at the other man, “and how well do you think you two are getting along?”
In her eyes, she was pretty sure Ryoma had a crush – the way he would abruptly change his demeanor whenever Hayato was in the same room as him, or even when he was only mentioned. She thought that he was poor at concealing how flustered he would get, but it was becoming clear that he did not realize the extent of his feelings himself.
Normally, she would let this slide, giving him as much time as needed to sort through his feelings and come to his own conclusions, but with the risk of what could happen on the battlefield, the danger of words unspoken could lead to a heartbreak that may never heal. Plus there was only so much constant yearning from an oblivious party she could take.
“Not bad,” he shrugged, “we haven’t had any fights like our first meeting or anything.”
“Good,” she nodded in agreement, “Can’t be too hard, right? He seems to be doing well here, and he’s popular too.” Ryoma failed to see the devilish grin briefly cross her face before she schooled it into a more neutral look. Now was the best time to give him a little push. She leaned forward, quieting her voice, “You’re with him all the time so tell me, has he met someone? He seems really at ease for someone who had their life change completely, y’know?”
Ryoma’s head finally snapped back to her direction, looking distraught and panicked.
“Wha-!?” he spluttered, briefly glancing back in Hayato’s direction to see if he had noticed his little outburst. When he confirmed Hayato showed no sign of caring, Ryoma turned back to Michiru, leaning in and looking deadly serious. “I don’t think he’s seeing anyone, do you know if he is?”
“That’s why I asked you,” she snickered, Ryoma’s response giving more confirmation to her theory. Now she had to go in for the kill, “Why? Would it be bad if he is?”
“Yes,” Ryoma hissed.
“Why?”
“Because-” he clamped his mouth shut, biting his lip, unsure why he felt so defensive about the thought. “...it would mess with the dynamic,” he finished lamely.
“Or,” Michiru interrupted, “maybe it’s because you...have a crush on him?”
Ryoma stared back blankly. “No, I don’t.”
Michiru shot him a look, ‘really?’
“I’m serious,” Ryoma deadpanned, “What makes you think I have a crush?”
She could tell from his tone, he really wasn’t seeing the whole picture. “Oh, I don’t know, just the way that whenever you look at him, you have hearts in your eyes.”
“I do not.”
“Or how you’re always finding ways to spend time with him, even going so far as to ignore your other friend.”
“That’s… for the team. Also I totally didn’t mean to ignore you, I just-”
“Was too busy fawning over the cute guy who recently moved into your room, and sleeps three feet away from you?”
Ryoma grimaced, rubbing his hand down his face. Leave it to Michiru to read him like a book make up some crazy theory and get him worked up over nothing.
“What’s his problem.”
Ryoma jolted as Hayato slid into the seat next to him, resuming his natural sitting position with Michiru doing the same, simultaneously not failing to notice the wayward glace Hayato shot in his direction. When the other pilot’s eyes turned back to Michiru, Ryoma shot her an intense look, clenching his jaw and making motions to be quiet.
‘Duh,’ she motioned before turning towards their newest member. “Ryoma’s just going through some...personal stuff.” Hayato grunted in acknowledgment and began thumbing through the various stacks of reports he brought with him to the table.
“Nothing bad, I hope,” the bored way he spoke sent a pleasant tingle through Ryoma’s nerves. He grit his teeth, begging himself not to be too obvious, if he couldn’t hide his true maybe true thoughts from Michiru, he didn’t stand a chance hiding them from the man sitting next to him. She continued to answer for him, “No, nothing bad,” he could hear the smirk in Michiru’s voice, “Just relationship issues.”
“Upset no one wants your ugly ass?” the other man chimed in before Ryoma could respond. He whipped towards the offending party, ready to lash out with a retort, but any comeback died on his lips when he saw the cocky smirk adorning Hayato’s face.
Michiru responded for him once more, but Ryoma payed no attention to the conversation taking place in front of him. Too focused on the man sitting beside him who captured his heart-
‘Fuck’ Ryoma groaned to himself, threading his hand into his hair, ‘I really do have a crush on him, don’t I?’